Nasarawa North By-Election: Maku Alleges BVAS Failures, Electoral Malpractices, Calls for Transparent Collation
By Suleiman Abubakar Rimi Uku
Labour Party (LP) candidate in the Nasarawa North Senatorial District by-election, Labaran Maku, has raised concerns over alleged electoral irregularities, malfunctioning BVAS machines, and reports of ballot manipulation in parts of the senatorial district.
Speaking with journalists shortly after casting his vote at his polling unit in Wakama Ward, Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area, Maku said while his accreditation and voting process went smoothly, many voters encountered challenges due to difficulties with biometric verification.
According to him, several voters were unable to complete accreditation because the BVAS machines failed to capture their fingerprints, resulting in delays at polling units.
He urged electoral officials to make greater use of facial recognition technology where fingerprint verification proves unsuccessful.
BVAS Technical Challenges Reported.
The former Minister of Information alleged that several polling units across the district experienced technical difficulties with BVAS devices, leading to disruptions in the voting process.
Maku further claimed that some BVAS machines were hampered by inadequate internet data, forcing polling officials and concerned citizens to improvise solutions to sustain accreditation and voting activities.
He described the development as unfortunate for a by-election conducted within a single senatorial district, noting that adequate logistics and technical support should have been provided.
Allegations of Electoral Malpractices.
The LP candidate also alleged receiving reports of ballot paper snatching, multiple thumbprinting, and other electoral malpractices in communities including Alushi, Wacho, Oru, and parts of Wamba Local Government Area.
According to him, some of the reported incidents were allegedly captured on video by residents and observers, while other allegations involved attempts to manipulate ballot papers before collation.
Maku further accused certain political actors and government officials of attempting to influence the electoral process, although he did not provide evidence during the interview.
Collation Process Remains Critical While acknowledging that voting commenced peacefully in many polling units, Maku cautioned that the most sensitive phase of the election would be the collation and transmission of results.
He observed that electoral tensions often arise during collation when political interests come under pressure, urging security agencies and electoral officials to remain vigilant throughout the process.
The LP candidate called for close monitoring of result transmission from polling units to ward, local government, and senatorial district collation centres to ensure transparency and credibility.
Democracy Must Reflect the People's Will
Maku maintained that democratic elections should be determined by the votes of the people rather than political influence or abuse of incumbency.
He argued that governments should earn re-election through performance and service delivery rather than through alleged manipulation of the electoral process.
The former minister urged public office holders to focus on governance and public trust, stressing that electoral outcomes should reflect the genuine wishes of citizens.
“This is not just about who wins or loses. It is about the country winning through a transparent and credible process. Democracy can only prosper when the people's will prevails,” Maku stated.
As of the time of filing this report, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies had not officially responded to the allegations raised by the Labour Party candidate.
